Abas Apples are red with a yellow flush stripe on them. Their taste is mild. The fruit ripens early, but the tree bears only every other year. Abas Apples are grown in Australia. Cooking Tips Best used as a fresh-eating apple. Storage Hints Stores well.
Australian Food
Alpine Mint
Alpine Mint is not a real mint.It is an evergreen bush that grows in rocky areas of mountainous regions. It is frost hardy, though not overly cold hardy. The bush can live up to 100 years, and grow up to 24 inches (60 cm) tall. It blossoms with white flowers. It has more mint aroma…
Anzac Biscuits
Commercially-made Anzac Biscuits © Denzil Green Anzac Biscuits are dry, crunchy, chewy coconut oatmeal cookies. Though they are flat, they start out as drop cookies which melt out on the cookie sheet. They are made from oatmeal, shredded coconut, flour, golden syrup and butter. Some recipe versions add Macadamia nuts. Anzac Biscuits are good for…
Anzac Day
April 25th is Anzac Day, a solemn day jointly shared by Australia and New Zealand. Anzac is short for Australian (and) New Zealand Army Corps.
Aussie Meat Pies
Aussie Meat Pies (or Australian Meat Pies) are a style of meat pie typically made in Australia. They are usually individual-portion size, with not a lot of runny sauce inside them, so that they can be eaten out of hand as a take-away fast food. Along with Chiko Rolls, they are a staple food at…
Aussie Mite
Aussie Mite is an Australian yeast spread, made by All Natural Foods of Stirling, South Australia. The ingredients are: vegetable protein extract (corn), maltodextrin (tapioca), corn thickener (1401), sugar, sea salt, yeast extract, yeast, food acid (330), natural colour (caramel), niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, folate and water. There are no preservatives or artificial colouring used. (Ingredient…
Australia Day
The 26th of January is Australia Day. It is an official public holiday throughout Australia, promoted by the government with fireworks and performances.
Australian Food
No strictly regional foods have developed yet in Australia, though there is the start of an awareness of local products. Many new dishes being created in Australia are a blend of Asian and Mediterranean cooking classes, but there is no new “common class” that has actually emerged yet; just changing “themes” that are picked up…
Australian Natural Lake Salt
Australian Natural Lake Salt © Denzil Green Australian Natural Lake Salt is harvested from Lake Deborah (and others in the area) in Western Australia. The has a mild, not harsh, salt taste. In the dry seasons, the water evaporates from the lakes completely, leaving a salt crust on the lake bottoms. During rainy season, the…
Australian Purple Stripe Garlic
Australian Purple Stripe Garlic has large bulbs, with 8 to 10 cloves in them. The skin around the bulb and the cloves is purple-striped. The skin peels easily off the cloves. The garlic has a strong, lasting flavour. It is a member of the Purple Stripe group of garlic, which is a subgroup of Hardneck…
Ballarat Apples
Ballarat Apples are large-sized, with green skin with a red flush to it. Inside they have firm, coarse, off-white flesh, with a slightly tart taste. The apples ripen in late October. Cooking Tips Cooking apples. Storage Hints Stores for several months. History Notes Ballarat Apples originated in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in 1870.
Banana Prawns
Banana Prawns are large prawns that live in the coastal waters in the tropics and subtropics. They are caught off Australia’s Queensland coast in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Commercial fishing for them is allowed from April to June and July to November. They are frozen right on the ship. There are varieties: Blue Leg (Penaeus…
Blackjack Zucchini
Blackjack Zucchini is an F1 hybrid plant. The zucchini is long and straight, with very dark green, smooth skin. It grows on a small, compact bush. The zucchini requires about 54 days to maturity. It is very popular in Australia. History Notes Blackjack Zucchini was developed by the Petoseed Company.
Bonza Apples
Bonza Apples are medium to large-sized apples, somewhat flattened on top. They have pale yellowish-green skin covered with a red flush. Inside, they have firm, juicy, very white flesh, with a sweet taste. In Australia, they ripen in March. Cooking Tips Cooking apple. Good in salads, as is slow to discolour after being cut. Good…
Brigitta Blueberries
Brigitta Blueberries are very light blue, medium to large-sized blueberries. They taste mostly sweet but with a touch of tartness. They are very firm, almost crisp, and will have a small, dry scar after picking. Brigitta Blueberries grow in loose clusters and can be harvested mechanically and store very well after harvest. The spreading bush…
Chiko Rolls
Chiko Rolls are an Australian version of spring rolls or egg rolls. They are deep fried fast-food item, with a thick, almost chewy dough wrapper on them. The dough is made of egg and flour. Ingredients in the filling inside are mutton, barley, cabbage, carrot, celery and rice, and seasonings. Fish and chip shops in…
Copha
Copha is a vegetable-based solid cooking fat that will stay solid at room temperature. It comes in blocks or a cube wrapped like butter or dripping. It is white, but goes clear when melted. It is basically coconut butter that has been hydrogenated to make it even more stable until deliberately melted, and to make it…
Democrat Apples
Democrat are large-sized, somewhat flattened apples. The colour of the firm, coarse flesh varies from white tinged with green to yellowish. The flesh can be juicy or dry. The taste is sweet, but not always with a lot of flavour otherwise. Cooking Tips For fresh-eating. Storage Hints Stores well. History Notes Democrat Apples were developed…
Elizabeth Ducks
Elizabeth Ducks are raised for their meat. There are two main varieties, one with mallard-type coloration with a green head and brown chest; the other is a coffee coloured bird with blue wing tips. Both varieties have a bluish-grey bill. They are small, stocky birds, with a good temper. Males will weigh 3 1/2 to…
Esky
An Esky is a Australian portable insulated food cooler with a hinged lid or removable lid, depending on model and vintage of the model; it is a common item in many Australian homes.
Farmhouse Cheese
Farmhouse isn’t a distinct type of cheese; the term “farmhouse” refers to the process of its being produced on farms, often with much manual work or intervention, rather than through a completely automated process in factories. The farmer will have his/her own herd and will use milk from that herd. The farmers feel that in…
Feral Olives
Olive trees have been in Australia since the early 1800s throughout the southern parts of the country. Over the decades, some olive trees have sprung up from seed, rather than being propagated by grafting. Olive trees were first planted in Adelaide in 1838. In 1856, Adelaide City Council started planting olive trees on city parkland;…
Floaters
Floaters is an Australian dish sold from food waggons in the street. It’s an individual portion size meat pie (an “Aussie Meat Pie”) served upside down in a disposable plastic bowl in a pool of thick split green pea soup, with lots of ketchup. The meat in the meat pies is ground beef, though you…
Gem Cakes (Australia)
Gem Cakes in Australia are small, round sweet cakes, usually unflavoured. They are also called Gem Scones, which is perhaps more accurate, as they are more like small scones. You’re meant to serve them with butter, jam, etc. They are quick to make: from opening the recipe book to baking to the table, the whole…